The invention relates to a ground-level multiple current supply system for track-guidable, rubber-tired, electrically propulsive vehicles of the general type known, for example, from the Bendix Dashaveyor Company's brochure entitled "Transportation System--Dashveyor People Mover". This brochure describes in detail a local transportation system proposed for installation at the "Dulles" International Airport in the American capital city of Washington in 1972.
For the current supply system of these track-guidable vehicles, a total of four live rails are arranged vertically superposed above the transverse guide bars, and are respectively independently contactable by means of a current collector arm. The live rails have a double tee-shaped profile; the wear-reducing lining consists of a graphite coating. Each individual rail is shielded upwards and towards the side wall by an L-shaped angle profile consisting of plastic; the mutually adjacent angle profiles produce for each individual live rail a shielding duct open towards the vehicle but closed on three sides. The contact sides of the different live rails are located vertically and vertically below each other all in one plane. To permit height tolerances of the current collectors on the vehicle side relative to the live rails on the carriageway side to be compensated, the brushes of the current collectors are wider in the vertical direction than the contact track of the live rails. Consequently, it is also necessary for the shielding ducts in which the live rails are located to be constructed wider upwards and downwards for a height deviation. The current supply system is therefore relatively voluminous. The shielding means is open towards the side over a large area, so that the live rails have little protection from dampness due to the weather and from contact from man or beast. A further disadvantage lies in the relatively onerous fastening means of the live rails. For this purpose it is first of all necessary for a large number of vertically positioned insulator posts to be fastened consecutively to the insides of the through-shaped carriageways, to which, in turn, the live rails and the shielding profiles are then screwed. This not only involves a large consumption of materials; the assembly also demands a very large number of man-hours, so that the current supply system becomes extremely expensive overall.
An object of the invention is to improve the current supply system of the type mentioned above so that the current supply system has a smaller cross-section, that it is better protected against wetness due to the weather and against contact, and that it can be installed more simply and more rapidly and is therefore cheaper than known current supply systems.
This object is achieved according to the invention by providing that:
(a) the shielding means is constructed for two live rails as a homogeneous self-supporting extruded profile with a pair of ducts, open downwards in the installation position, on the other side of which an appropriate fastening profiling, for suspended fastening to support arms is integrated; PA1 (b) the cross-section of the live rails exhibits a substantially triangular or pentagonal-house-like envelope contour whilst the live rails are arranged with their contact sides mutually inclined in immediate proximity of the partition within the shielding means; and PA1 (c) longitudinal grooves or beads are formed on both sides of the live rails and correspondingly complementary beads or longitudinal grooves on the insides of the ducts of the shielding means are provided which interlock mutually positively and in barb fashion so that the live rails are slidable axially into the shielding means but are immediately retained firmly therein transversely to the slide-in direction.
By virtue of the self-supporting and structurally integrated conformation of the shielding means as an extruded profile, the live rails, likewise constructed as an extruded profile, can be maintained securely therein by axial sliding in without screwing. By virtue of the suspended arrangement of the shielding means, the latter can be suspended swinging as a self-supporting beam from a small number of support points, whilst the assembly proceeds extremely rapidly. Better protection from wetness and contact is also created by the suspended shielding means open underneath. By virtue of the v-shaped arrangement of the contact tracks, a centering characteristic is obtained for the two current collector brushes on the vehicle side, so that no corresponding clearance need be provided within the shielding means for relative movements between the live rail on the carriageway side and the current collector brush on the vehicle side. Consequently the shielding means can be kept relatively small in cross-section, which favours not only the overall volume, but also the investment costs.
Other convenient further developments of preferred embodiments of the invention include constructing the shielding means of glass fiber-reinforced plastic, providing a thick wall in the region over hanging the live rails, and disposing the contact rails with v-shaped contact sides. Preferred embodiments also provide the live rails with a hollow profile having a circular cross-section.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.